Azawahasi is Sharabha homeland, a vast expanse of savanna and grassland where the lion-folk have roamed since Shara Bolasi's blood transformed the land. There are no cities here, no permanent settlements, just the endless grass, the great herds, and the tribes that follow them. The landscape is beautiful in a harsh way: golden plains stretching to the horizon, scattered acacia trees, and skies so big they make you feel small.
The Sharabha live as their ancestors did, nomadic, proud, bound by honor codes older than most nations. Outsiders find Azawahasi difficult to navigate, less for the terrain than for the absence of roads, inns, and markets. You either know a tribe or you're on your own.
Plains of Eregnar
The southern heartland of Azawahasi, named for a legendary Sharabha hero whose deeds are still sung around campfires. The Plains of Eregnar are prime hunting ground, open grassland that supports enormous herds of antelope, wildebeest, and the massive creatures the Sharabha prize as worthy prey.
Multiple tribes range across the Plains, following the seasonal movements of the herds. Territorial boundaries exist but are fluid, negotiated through gift exchange and ritual rather than fences or markers. A tribe that needs to cross another's territory asks permission; refusing without good reason is a serious breach of honor.
The land here still carries traces of Shara Bolasi's sacrifice. Sharabha report feeling stronger on the Plains, more connected to their ancestral heritage. Some claim the soil itself glows faintly on moonless nights, though outsiders have never confirmed this.
The Eastern Coast
Azawahasi's eastern edge meets the Middle Sea along a stretch of coastal plains and rocky shores. The Sharabha aren't seafaring people and have little interest in boats or fishing, but the coastal regions offer good hunting and reliable water sources.
A few tribes specialize in coastal living, hunting the seabirds and marine mammals that inhabit the shore. They're viewed as slightly eccentric by plains tribes but respected for adapting to different terrain while maintaining traditional values.
The Western Border
Azawahasi's western edge transitions into the goblin plains: first the Jinxz Plains, then the Shiverplains beyond. The border is wherever Sharabha territory ends and goblin chaos begins, not a line drawn on any map.
Relations with the Scalawag broods are tense but stable. The goblins raid occasionally; the Sharabha retaliate devastatingly. Neither side commits to full warfare because neither side would benefit. The goblins get occasional loot and entertainment; the Sharabha get practice and a reminder not to grow complacent.
Seasonal Camps
The Sharabha don't build permanent settlements, but they return to reliable locations seasonally: watering holes that don't dry up, sheltered valleys for the rainy season, high ground when floods threaten. These camps accumulate over generations: fire pits, storage caches, sacred sites where important ceremonies occurred.
A tribe's seasonal circuit is part of its identity. Young Sharabha learn the route before they can walk, memorizing water sources, hunting grounds, and the stories attached to each location. Changing the circuit requires serious justification: drought, territorial conflict, or the rare decision to seek new land.
Wildlife
Azawahasi teems with life. Herds of antelope and wildebeest number in the thousands, moving across the plains in patterns the Sharabha have studied for generations. Elephants roam in family groups, dangerous but respected. Lions (actual lions, not transformed Sharabha) hunt the same prey the tribes do, sometimes competing, sometimes coexisting.
The relationship between Sharabha and natural lions is complicated. The lion-folk feel kinship with their animal counterparts but don't romanticize them. Lions are predators, occasionally dangerous, to be treated with caution and respect. Some tribes believe natural lions are Shara Bolasi's untransformed children; others consider this sentimental nonsense.
Outsiders in Azawahasi
Visiting Azawahasi without tribal connections is difficult and potentially dangerous. There are no services for travelers: no inns, no guides, no supplies for purchase. The land is harsh for those who don't know its rhythms.
Outsiders who want to enter properly must find a tribe willing to host them, which means gifts, introductions, and patience. The Sharabha aren't hostile to strangers, but they don't trust easily. Prove yourself honorable and you'll be welcomed; prove yourself otherwise and you'll be asked to leave, or made to leave.
Merchants from the United Free Nations have established relationships with some coastal tribes, conducting careful gift-exchange trade for Sharabha leather and beadwork. These relationships took years to build and are guarded jealously by the merchants who maintain them.